5 Times When Women Were Grossly Underpaid On The Set Compared To Their Male Co-Stars
The average woman has to work an extra month and a half to make the same money as a man in the same position, and Hollywood is no exception.
The gender pay gap has long been a persistent problem in various industries, including the entertainment industry. Despite the progress that has been made in terms of gender equality, there have been instances where women on movie sets have been grossly underpaid in comparison to their male co-stars.
Here are 5 iconic female actresses who faced a significant pay gap on set.
1. Emmy Rossum
The Shameless actress had to wait almost until her departure from the series at the end of season 9 to get paid equal to her onscreen father, William H. Macy. Even though her screen time was significantly more than anyone else's, she was still denied the proper compensation.
Rossum also expressed her gratitude for Macy's support, emphasizing the importance of his endorsement in the fight for equal pay.
2. Kirsten Dunst
During the filming of Spider-Man, Kirsten Dunst acknowledged that there was a significant difference in pay between her and Tobey Maguire, but she did not dwell on it. The actress revealed that because she was focused on her role and emphasizing her presence and importance as a leading lady, she didn't even think about it.
3. Taraji P. Henson
The pay inequality in the Hollywood industry can be worse for women of color. While Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett earned substantial millions of dollars in the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Taraji P. Henson, who initially had a $500,000 salary request but was only offered $100,000 by the studio. After negotiating, Henson ended up being paid as little as $150,000.
4. Jessica Chastain
Contrary to reports claiming that Jessica Chastain earned $7 million for starring in The Martian while Matt Damon earned $25 million, Chastain clarified that she actually earned less than a quarter of what was reported.
Jennifer Lawrence, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper and Amy Adams were the ensemble cast of American Hustle. Although Lawrence and Adams were critically acclaimed for their performances, they discovered that they were paid significantly less than their male co-stars. Lawrence was surprised to find that her back-end compensation was 2 percent less than that of her male counterparts.
The situation repeated itself when the actress was paid $25 million for her role in Don't Look Up, compared to Leonardo DiCaprio 's $30 million.